


Even If It's Brief, I Want Memories With You

by Snail_inthe_club (ThatNeoNeonGrass), ThatNeoNeonGrass



Series: NCT ffs that are not good [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Falling In Love, Kissing, Leukemia, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:40:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28284117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatNeoNeonGrass/pseuds/Snail_inthe_club, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatNeoNeonGrass/pseuds/ThatNeoNeonGrass
Summary: A confession from a possibly dying boy to another rebellious boy.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Series: NCT ffs that are not good [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552378
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	Even If It's Brief, I Want Memories With You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sleepywinter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sleepywinter/gifts), [Jaemins_smile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaemins_smile/gifts), [Bean_X0](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bean_X0/gifts), [aefrn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aefrn/gifts), [rosesandcoffee](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=rosesandcoffee).



> To all the ones that requested fic to me and that I never came to fully write and/or finish. I am sorry that I have been a mess and unmotivated to fulfill your requests. I hope that I can publish them at some point. This is just my Christmas gift and apology to you. 
> 
> On a side note:  
> This was also inspired by my feelings for my best friend. While this story has nothing to really with our real-life situation it was just inspired by that. It was inspired by the first time I kissed them in the dim lighting of my bedroom. The moment I knew I was in love with them. It was also inspired by confessing to them a few nights ago. Fully confessing this time. Telling them that I love them so much. That I love them more than I have loved anyone before. That they are sometimes my first thought in the mornings and that I cry when they are struggling because I can't do much for them at the moment.

Lee Donghyuck was your classic bad boy. Always getting in trouble in school. He skipped classes and smoked cigarettes on the rooftop of the school. He got into fights with others and got suspended more than twice. Yeah, he is your classic bad boy.

Mark Lee is your classic goody-two-shoes. He is the kid in school that everyone knows for is really sweet and kind attitude. He gets along with everyone and keeps up good grades. He never breaks the rules and gets in trouble. Yep, he is your classic goody-two-shoes.

Two boys from two, seemingly, different. Yet Mark Lee couldn't help but fall in love with Lee Donghyuck. To him, there was something beautifully dangerous about him. So, when Mark was diagnosed with leukemia in his last year of high school, he finally chose to approach Donghyuck. 

After some time of asking around Mark was able to figure out what classes Donghyuck would skip regularly. It seemed that he would always skip the fourth class just before lunch. So Mark did his best to find him during their small break. Find him he did on the stairway, probably heading to the rooftop. So he followed him. Mark flinched when the bell for the class to start rang. He let Donghyuck open the door to the rooftop first and waited a few minutes before doing the same. There a few meters away he finds Lee Donghyuck with a cigarette in between his lips. He turns to look at him and looks him up and down.

"Aren't you Mark Lee?" the younger boy asks, tilting his head.

"How do you know my name?" The older asks a bit surprised.

"Well, who doesn't know you? Everyone talks about the perfect student Mark Lee, especially the girls. But you being here means you are breaking rules," Donghyuck replies.

"I see. There is also a first time for everything, Lee Donghyuck," Mark replies.

"Ah, you know about me too. Let me guess, is it because of the rumors surrounding me?" The younger boy says in a serious tone, as walks closer to Mark.

"No, I came to tell you something," Mark says in a quieter tone.

"Spit it out then," Donghyuck replied in a commanding tone.

"I like you," Mark says with no hesitation.

Donghyuck scoffs, before he replies, "You know I'm a bad person, right?"

The brunette says, holding a cigarette near his lips. His eyes look at the other young man next to him. The other young man looks back at him with a small smile.

"I only told you I like you. I'm not asking you to be mine. I am just telling you what I feel for you. Whether you believe me or not, that's on you," the other man replied, the smile still on his face.

The young man smoking chuckled and said, "Mark Lee, you are one interesting guy."

"As are you, Lee Donghyuck," the older replies.

The younger nods and goes back to smoking. He then offers his pack to Mark and he refuses. The bell rings to show that lunch break started. Donghyuck put out his cigarette and discarded it on the floor. He looks back at Mark, who is now looking out to the front of the school.

"What do you want if it's not a relationship?" he asks Mark.

Mark smiles as he turns to look at the younger. "Just be my friend," he says.

Donghyuck looks at him for a moment. "Okay. Well, then my friend let's get lunch," he says as he starts to move to the door.

They go to lunch together. Donghyuck leads Mark to his table. The simple fact that the two were together made the people around the murmur. At the table, Donghyuck's friends were already sitting there.

"I brought a friend," he says when they get close to the table.

His friends three friends turn to look at them. One of them is blonde with soft facial features and a nicely toned body. The boy to his left had light brown hair and a slightly wide and round face. To the right of the blonde was a boy with black hair he has sharper facial features. They are all surprised to see that the boy next to their friend was none other than Mark Lee, the honest to God polar opposite.

"Isn't that Mark Lee?" speaks up the brunette.

"Yes, this is Mark Lee and he is sitting with us today," Donghyuck replies as he sits at the table and motions for Mark to do the same.

"How do you guys even know each other?" The black-haired one asks.

"I have a crush on Donghyuck and confessed to him," Mark replies, finally speaking up.

The brunette chokes on his drink. While the blonde looks at him with wide eyes and the black-haired one gives him a confused look. Then they turned to look at Donghyuck.

"He isn't lying," is all he says.

The other three can only nod in response.

At was how it started. A confession from a possibly dying boy to another rebellious boy. Within the first week of them hanging out together, the whole school knows that something is going on between them. What exactly it is they aren't sure because what even was this? Even four months later when both their friend groups merged into one, they still didn't know. However, as the first semester comes to an end they get closer.

Mark offers to help Donghyuck study and the younger agrees. That's why Donghyuck finds himself outside of Mark's house. He rings the doorbell. A woman answers the door. She looks to be in her late thirties and has long black hair. She smiles at him and asks him if he was Mark's friend. Donghyuck nods and the lady calls to Mark. Mark appears behind the lady after a bit. He is wearing a gray hoodie and round-rimmed glasses. He smiles at him and lets him inside.

Mark leads him to his room. Mark's room was pretty simple. He had a full-sized bed with plain navy blue sheets. His closet doors were a cedar color. Near the closet, he also had a dresser the same color as the closet doors. The walls of the room were plain aside from some frames. In one of the corners of the room was Mark's desk. His desk was neatly organized.

"So what subject do you need the most help with?" he asks.

"Calculus," Donghyuck replies. "I got this high up in math, but I don't know what I am doing at this point."

"Lucky for you, I have a good grade in calculus," Mark answers with a smile.

They spend the whole time studying from calculus to history to English. They stopped studying for bathroom breaks and when Mark's mother brought them dinner. By the time they call it a day it is eleven pm.

"Why don't you stay the night?" Mark asks.

Donghyuck looks at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Don't get me wrong. It's just that it's very late now," the older clarifies.

The younger sighs and says, "I'll call my mom so she doesn't worry."

The older smiles at him.

"I'll lend you some clothes," says as he opens his dresser.

He gives the younger a pair of sweat pants and an oversized t-shirt. Then he told Donghyuck to get changed in the bathroom. When Donghyuck came back from the bathroom, he found that the lights had been turned off, except for the lamp next to the bed. Mark sitting on the bed with part of his body tucked in the bedsheets. He looked up at him with a smile and patted the empty spot next to him.

Donghyuck stood there for a moment just looking at him. For some reason in this moment he realized something. He realized that Mark was beautiful. Sitting there in the dim light with his messy hair, his round-rimmed glasses, and a tired look on his face. He was beautiful.

"Are you going to sleep or no?" Mark asks breaking Donghyuck from his thoughts.

"Yeah," he replies as he makes his way to the bed.

Donghyuck gets in the bed and also tucks himself in. Mark turns to turn off the lamp and then settles himself down in bed. There was some faint moonlight that poured in through thin blue curtains. Donghyuck turned his head to look at Mark. He could see the outline of Mark's face, he was looking up at the ceiling.

"Mark," Donghyuck called out softly.

Mark turns his head to look in Donghyuck's direction before answering softly, "Yes?"

"Can I kiss you?" Donghyuck asks with no hesitation as he moves his body to fully face Mark.

Mark also turns to fully face Donghyuck and he moves closer to him. "Yes," he softly replies.

Donghyuck closes the gap.

The semester finals came and went. Then came Christmas break and Mark And Donghyuck find themselves together once again. This time Donghyuck asked Mark to hang out with him in the city. They started the day meeting at a café. They had a morning coffee and cake. Then they went on a walk through the city.

"What are you going to do for Christmas?" Donghyuck asks.

"Normally, I would have relatives over. This year though my parents are going to be on a business trip," Mark replies. "What about you?"

"This year my relatives will be visiting. Usually, my family travels to visit them," the younger replies. "Oh, a toy store!"

Mark looks up at the younger one and follows his gaze. He was looking a bit away across the street. The younger turns to look at him. He had a wide smile.

"Let's go," he says as he starts running to the store.

"Wait, Donghyuck," Mark calls.

Mark sighs but starts to run after him. As he runs he feels breathless. More than he should he knows. But he wants to catch up to Donghyuck. They both cross the street with no problem. Donghyuck stops in front of the store and turns to look at Mark. Mark is coming to a halt and he's breathing hard. He looks at the younger he still has a smile. Mark feels something warm down his lips. Donghyuck's expression changes.

"Mark your-" his sentence gets cut off as Mark begins to fall.

Donghyuck gets to him before he falls all the way to the floor. In catching the older Donghyuck also falls. Some people nearby ask him if everything is okay. While a few others ask if they should call an ambulance. The younger tries to shake him awake but he doesn't respond. He asks the young lady that stopped near him if she could call the ambulance.

Donghyuck never really had to wait in a hospital before. But he could understand now why it made people anxious. It had been half an hour since Mark and he had arrived at the hospital. He didn't know any of Mark's family phone numbers so he texted Renjun, Mark's childhood friend, to call someone from his family. A bit after that Renjun texted back that he had gotten in contact with Mark's older brother and he was on his way to the hospital. Renjun also informed him that he had given his number to Mark's older brother. Not too long after he received a message from them telling them who they were and where they could find him. Donghyuck replied and told them he was the guy wearing a red scarf.

Had it been any other situation he might have been nervous about meeting Mark's older brother. He didn't actually know much about him. Mark only told him that he had been studying abroad this year and would return for the holidays. So when he saw Mark's older brother he was surprised by his stunning visuals. The older man introduced himself as Mark's older brother, Lee Taeyong. He was fairly tall and slender. His hair had been dyed red and he had a bit of an intimidating aura around him. But he also carried a worried expression.

"Have you heard anything yet?" he asked.

"No, not yet," Donghyuck replied.

The older man nodded and sat next to him. He kept his worried expression. They waited another half hour before they call for Mark Lee's family. They both stood up and made their way to the doctor.

"Hello, I'm doctor Moon. Are you both Mark Lee's family?" Asked the doctor.

"Yes," replied Taeyong. "How is he?"

"He's fine. He fainted due to overexertion. He really shouldn't be doing that much physical activities. Not while he is getting treated for his leukemia," explains Dr. Moon.

"I'm sorry, he has what?" Donghyuck asks still trying to process the last part.

Leukemia. Mark has leukemia. He never to him that. Of course, it might make sense they just became friends this year. Mark wasn't just going to tell anyone about it.

"Mark didn't tell you?" Taeyong asked him looking at him.

The younger shook his head. Taeyong sighed and gave him a sad look. He then turned back to the doctor and asked him if they could see him. The doctor nodded and lead them to Mark's room.

Donghyuck was still lost in his thoughts. He didn't want to believe this was true. That Mark had been going through this all on his own. But looking back he could tell that something was going on with him. He could tell how some days Mark seemed really tired. There were also days Mark was absent from school. Why did he keep it all hidden? Donghyuck would have been less of an asshole in the beginning.

"Mark was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia last summer," Taeyong speaks up softly, interrupting Donghyuck's thoughts.

He turns his head to look at the older man.

"I don't think he's told, anyone. I think only our family knows. Mark's like that. He wants to deal with everything on his own, even this. He didn't really have a reaction when the doctor gave us the diagnosis. He just carried on," the older continued.

They come to a stop as the doctor shows them the door and says his goodbye. They both pause there. The older man has his hand on the door handle. He turned to look at Donghyuck.

"Please stay with him. Even if he doesn't get better. Please be his company, " his voice was filled with so much emotion and his eyes with unshed tears.

"I will," Donghyuck replies softly and reassuringly.

One sort of just forgets time is passing in a hospital. But by the time Mark wakes up again, it has been four hours since they arrived at the hospital. Mark woke up when only Donghyuck was in the room. Donghyuck was looking at him with an expression Mark couldn't quite place. He looked sad but there was also something else there. 

"Are you dying, Mark?" He whispers as tears fill his eyes.

It breaks Mark's heart to see his tears fall from his eyes. His eyes that had always shined like the stars. Eyes that were always filled with warm feelings. In this moment they still shined even with his tears and sadness. 

"I'll live through this," Mark replies with a horse voice.

School starts again. Life goes on. It goes on as if nothing ever happened. Not just the Christmas break incident, but also the progression of Mark's and Donghyuck's relationship. While no they were never a thing it still hurt Mark that Donghyuck avoided him. But Mark gets it. Why would anyone want to be friends with someone who can die in the end? Mark is aware if things go south he would just become a burden to the younger. 

Even so, they find themselves in the beginning. Again on the school rooftop. Just the two of them. Donghyuck looks at him like he did the first time. He had a cigarette between his lips again. He turned back to look at the school grounds after a bit. Mark made his way to stand next to him. Donghyuck takes his cigarettes between his figures. 

"I was going to ignore you. To ignore everything. Keeping going on with my life pretending I didn't know you. But I came to realize I can't," he speaks up after a bit.

He has his head turned to Mark and Mark looks back at him. They stay like that look at each other for what seems like an eternity. 

"I came to like you. I came to like you and it makes me afraid," Donghyuck speaks up again emotion filling his voice. 

"It's okay to like me. I still like you. Even if it's brief, I want to make memories with you," Mark replies.

Donghyuck nods as he turns his head away again. He inhales sharply and exhales softly. He puts the cigarette between his lips again and inhales. He then takes it out and exhales the nicotine fumes. He lets his shoulders fall and puts out the cigarette. 

"Even, let's make great memories," he says as he straightens up. 

The younger turns his whole body to face him. Mark does the same.

"Mark Lee, be my boyfriend," he states more than he asks.

Mark breaks into a smile and says, "Yes."

They do everything. Donghyuck gets Mark to smoke with him once. Mark chokes and glares at the younger when he recovers. All the while Donghyuck laughs. They also get Donghyuck's older brother to buy them beer and drink together. They skip a whole school day and they both get in trouble. Mark sneaks out of his house for the first time to meet up with Donghyuck. They go on many dates. They do what they can with the time they have. Because it may be brief or it may be a lifetime. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. I hope you can leave some comments because fr this one I am just really emotional about.


End file.
